Loose-leaf holder.



W. G. BALDWIN. LOOSE LEAP HOLDER. APPLICATION FILED AUG. 17, 1910.

988,686. Patented Apr. 4, 1911.

WILLIAM GLENN BALDWIN, 0F PITTSBUBG, PENNSYLVANIA.

LOOSE-LEAF HOLDER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 4, 1911.

Application filed August 17, 1910. Serial No. 577,557.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, l/VILLIAM GLENN BALDWIN, a citizen of the United States of America, residing at Pittsburg, in the in such form that it can be easily handled.

The primary object of the invention is to provide a loose leaf holder that will positively retain sheets or leaves within a cover without lIlJHFlng the same, the holder being advantageously used for securing magazines and such periodicals in backs and covers furnished by publishers in connection with their magazines and particularly used in private and public libraries.

I Another object of the invention is to pro vide a loose leaf holder that can be readily embodied in covers or 'backs of various styles, the holder being easily manipulated to either mount sheets or leaves in the cover or release the same.

With the above and such other objects in view as may hereinafter appear, the invention consists of the novel construction, combination, and arrangement of parts to be hereinafter specifically described and then claimed.

Reference will now be had to the drawing forming a part of this specification, wherein there are illustrated the preferred embodiments of the invention, but it is to be understood that the structural elements thereof are susceptible to such changes as fall within the scope of the appended claims.

In the drawings: Figure 1 is a plan of the holder. Fig. 2 is an end view of the same. Fig. 3 is a longitudinal sectional view of a portion of the holder. Fig. 4 is a perspective view of a detached modified form of clasp. Fig. 5 is an enlarged end View of the holder. Figs. 6 to 8 inclusive are end views of modified forms of holders. Fig. 9 is a perspective view of a detached preferred form of clasp, and Fig. 10 is a perspective view of a portion of the modified form of clasp shown in Figs. 7 and 8.

Reference will first be had to Figs. 1, 2, 3, and 9 showing the holder and the preferred form of clasp. The holder comprises a casing 1 made of a single sheet of metal or other material bent to provide a fiat top 2 and a central guideway 3 within the casing 1. The flat top 2 has the ends thereof slotted, as at L, and slidably mounted in the ends of the guideway 3 of the casing 1 are flat links 5, each link having an open end. 6 with the ends of the side arms of the link shaped to provide apert-ured lugs S and pivotally mounted between these lugs by a pin 7 is the flat apertured end 9 of a clasp 10, the clasp being made of a resilient material, as a piece of wire bent to provide a hookshaped end 11.

The links 5 are retained within the ends of the guideways 3 by vertical rivets or pins 19. mounted in the casing 1 and extending through said links, said rivets or pins limiting the inward or outward movement of the clasps.

The holder is retained in engagement with the sides 13 and the back 1 1 of a cover or binding by a piece of leather or other material 15 secured to the edges of the back 14, this piece of leather being slotted adjacent to the slots 41 of the casing 1, as at 16. The sheets or pages 17 to be retained in the cover are placed between the sides 13 thereof, the sheets or pages opened with approximately an equal number of sheets or pages resting upon each side of the cover, and then the clasps of the holder are placed in position to engage between the separated pages or sheets. This is accomplished by pulling outwardly upon the clasps 10 allowing the clasps to swing downwardly. Assuming that the sheets or pages have been placed in position upon the cover, the clasps 10 are raised and pushed inwardly until the hook-shaped ends 11 ride onto the sheets or pages and until the vertical portion 18 of said clasps rides into the slots 4. and 16 and engages the edges of the sheets or pages. The hook-shaped ends 11 of the clasps are bent upwardly, as at 19, to prevent the ends from injuring the sheets or pages when being placed in engagement therewith.

The links 5 permit of the clasps being shifted and the casing 1 retains the links 5 and the inner ends of the clasps 10 in longitudinal alinement, thus maintaining a rigid connection that positively holds the hookshaped ends of the clasps between the sheets and pages.

When large catalogues or magazines are to be held within a cover or binding, the clasps 10 can be provided with double hookshaped ends 20 to engagebetween the leaves or pages of the publication.

In Fig. 6 the casing of the holder is shown as curved, whereby it can be used in connection with a curved back.

In Figs. 7 8, and 10 the holder comprises a tubular casing 21 or a double tubular casing 22 having a flat top 23. In lieu of the flat link 5 a cylindrical slotted rod 24 is employed, the slot in the rod accommodating the rivet or pin 12 and the pivoted end of the clasp 10. The double tubular casing is provided where two of the clasps can be used for holding a large publication.

From the foregoing it is apparent that the holder consists of comparatively few parts, inexpensive to manufacture, easy to assemble, free from injury by ordinary use and efficient as a temporary holding device for retaining paper bound publications within a stiff cover or binding.

What I claim, is:

1. In a loose leaf holder, the combination with a cover, and leaves adapted to be held thereby, of a casing carried by the back of said cover, links movably mounted in the ends of said casing, and clasps pivotally connected to said links and adapted to be shifted to engage between said leaves.

2. In a loose leaf holder, a casing, clasps movable at the ends of said casing links slidably mounted in the ends of said casing and pivotally connected to said clasps.

3. In a loose leaf holder, a casing, clasps movable at the ends of said casing, links slidably mounted in the ends of said casing and pivotally connected to said clasps, and means adapted to retain said links in engagement with said casing.

at. In a loose leaf holder, a casing, a pair of clasps, each of said clasps having one end extending in one end of the casing and a port-ion projecting over the casing, each of said clasps shiftable toward and away from its respective end of the casing, a pair of slidable members arranged within the easing, each of said clasps having that end which extends in the casing pivotally connected to a member, whereby the clasps can be swung downwardly when shifted in a direction away from the ends of the casing, and means for limiting the inward and outward movement of said members.

In testimony whereof I afliX my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

IVILLIAM GLENN BALDWIN.

l/Vitnesses:

KARL H. BUTLER, EVA A. MILNE.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G. 

